Next generation change-makers from Mayo were nominated for the ‘Healthy
Connections Award’ at the recent 2025 national Young Social Innovators
(YSI) Awards for their outstanding YSI project that addresses the social
issue of isolation and disconnection within communities.
A team from Sancta Maria College Louisburgh, Co Mayo was shortlisted for
their ‘The Ripple Effect – Paying it Forward’ project which aims to
promote kindness, empathy and positive connections among individuals by
sharing and recording acts of goodwill to create a global network of
compassion.
Sancta Maria College were among 42 shortlisted teams representing 18
counties that competed live in eight categories at a recent pitching event.
Commenting on the high standard of this year’s entries shortlisted for the
YSI Awards, CEO of YSI, Roger Warnock, said: “The cutting-edge social
issues being addressed in the projects shortlisted for the 2025 YSI Awards,
including Sancta Maria College and the young people’s commitment to
finding solutions demonstrates how important social innovation education is
for empowering our next generation of change makers. I’d like to
congratulate all the young people who have taken part on the remarkable
passion, dedication, resourcefulness and creativity they have brought to
their participation in our YSI programme in their school.”
